BTR diff oil change

[GlynMo]

Hi, does anyone know what the torque setting is for the diff drain plug? Some idiot has, in the past, tightened the one on mine so hard that I can't get it undone. Tried a 13mm socket, seemed right to begin with but then tried a 1/2" which fitted better. It still seems likely to round the corners of the bolt than undo it though.

[TVR Beaver]

I thought it was 12mm?. BTW.. Make sure you can get the filler plug out first before you drain it..

Edited by TVR Beaver on Tuesday 1st August 22:04

[GlynMo]

Compared to getting the drain plug out, the filler was a piece of p......


ETA: I'll try a 12mm but I think I tried it before and it wouldn't fit. Maybe I didn't try hard enough...

[ChimpOnGas]

GlynMo said:

in the past, tightened the one on mine so hard that I can't get it undone. Tried a 13mm socket, seemed right to begin with but then tried a 1/2" which fitted better. It still seems likely to round the corners of the bolt than undo it though.

This is a common problem and may indicate the diff oil has never been changed as the drain plug was done up ridiculously tight from the factory and a very effective thread locking compound used, BTR really didn't want that drain plug to come undone.

I had this problem when I bought my Chimaera at 30,000 miles some seven years ago, it was clear to me although the service schedule for diff oil changes is every 10,000 miles and the car came with a full service history the diff had never been drained. The only way I could get the thing out was to weld a 19mm wheel nut to the drain plug and then get a 3' breaker bar on the thing using a six sided impact socket.

The heat from welding the wheel nut on certainly helped soften the thread locking compound and break the seal but even with all that leverage I needed to properly haul on the bar, whatever torque BTR chose to use on that drain plug it was certainly excessive!!!!

Having got the thing out obviously the drain plug needed replacing after welding that wheel nut to it, the thread is M12 so I went to my local fastener supplier (Orbital Fasteners) and purchased an M12x25 flange bolt then put a copper washer under it for a good seal, these days changing my diff oil is a breeze but I feel for you as I can tell you that drain plug will unlikely come out without some drastic action as described above.

Or just buy this......



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oil-Pan-Drain-Sump-Plug-...

Good luck with it, just be warned the only way I could get my BTR drain plug out was to weld a 19mm wheel not on it, use a long breaker bar and a six sided impact socket, but even then be prepared to have to properly heave on it.

It's seems like a small job, but it's not to be underestimated

[GlynMo]

Chimpongas, your post does not fill me with confidence about getting the job done so I'm driving the car round to a mate who runs a classic car workshop, see what he can do. Will report back. Incidentally, I think the drain plug has been cracked before, the oil is too clean to have been in there since 1998.

[GlynMo]

One big breaker bar, one very muscular bloke and one of those sockets designed to grip better than standard ones, and the drain plug's undone. Result, and I've ordered one of those replacement plugs with the copper seal so now need to await delivery so that I can finish the job. Thanks for the various comments, and I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it seems it might have been!

[ChimpOnGas]

GlynMo said:

One big breaker bar, one very muscular bloke and one of those sockets designed to grip better than standard ones, and the drain plug's undone. Result, and I've ordered one of those replacement plugs with the copper seal so now need to await delivery so that I can finish the job. Thanks for the various comments, and I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it seems it might have been!

Great news, you were lucky, I tried a breaker bar and six sided impact socket on mine but it simply refused to budge, only welding a 19mm wheel nut on the drain plug got mine free.

Glad to hear you got it sorted

[GlynMo]

ChimpOnGas said:

Or just buy this......



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oil-Pan-Drain-Sump-Plug-...

Good luck with it, just be warned the only way I could get my BTR drain plug out was to weld a 19mm wheel not on it, use a long breaker bar and a six sided impact socket, but even then be prepared to have to properly heave on it.

It's seems like a small job, but it's not to be underestimated

Finally got round to replacing the diff oil today. Easy job now that the diff plug had been cracked, but the new drain plug is the wrong size, too small, so I used the old one with the copper washer off the new one and all seems well.